Grocery shopping can be a daunting process between budgeting, figuring out what to buy, and choosing where to shop. No two grocery stores are exactly alike, and neither are the foods they sell and the consumers they attract. After exploring three diverse grocery sellers, I have made multiple observations about consumers, products, and advertisements.
I first observed my usual grocery, Meijer. Meijer is consistently crowded, loud, and filled with people who seem eager to quickly finish their shopping and get out. I observed three people wearing headphones, who looked as though they were not interested in interacting with anyone. There were people from various walks of life: older couples, families, individual shoppers; different cultures; some wearing dresses and suits, some wearing jeans, and some wearing comfortable clothing. No one said “excuse me”, while trying to get something off of the shelf that someone else was next to. Instead, they waited in silence until the next person moved, or they reached to grab a product without saying anything. I noticed the strategies Meijer used to lure consumers to certain products. The most peculiar were the boxes of Fiji water, one of the most expensive brands of bottled water, placed between numerous brands of pop. To uneducated or thrifty consumers, this could make pop appear to be a cost-efficient choice, appearing cheaper than water. However, as we learned in Olga Khazan’s, Should Food Stamps Buy Soda, soda is not the most efficient choice and it is strongly linked with obesity. The cheapest beverage would be the tap water from your home, which is something that many consumers fail to realize. It seems sensible to grab bottles at the store when they are right in front of your face, advertised with beachy islands, like Fiji water. The Halloween candy and pumpkin spice products were placed near the front to attract the Autumn season enthusiast, along with boxes of “healthy” granola bars and Wheat Thins for those whose days are fast-paced and think they are choosing healthy options. The subtle placement of unhealthy foods with seemingly healthy foods might attract consumers to grab boxes of both types of foods, to feel as though they are purchasing healthier products than a box of Oreos or a pint of ice cream, but the reality is that these foods, too, are still unhealthy. In the article, "Is Sushi Healthy? What About Granola?", 70% of Americans believed that granola bars were healthy foods, while only 30% of dietitians said the bars are healthy. There is a lack of education in America about what truly is healthy. I then went to Whole Foods and did some light shopping while I observed. I noticed those who shopped at Whole Foods were less stoic and more willing to interact. Some said excuse me when trying to reach an item on a shelf, and more consumers smiled at others as they shopped. It seemed as though the consumers at Whole Foods saw grocery shopping as less of a chore than those at Meijer. Shoppers stopped at the stands to take samples, and strangers discussed their opinions on the cranberry cheese sample they had tasted. There were several international students, but much less of a diverse demographic than Meijer. My small batch of groceries cost $20.00 more at Whole Foods than they do at Meijer. A difference of $20.00 for groceries could break an individual’s budget, especially when a person can find similar foods at other supermarkets. I noticed the strategic placement of desserts and frozen foods in the middle of Whole Foods: avoiding the section is inescapable. They carry ice cream brands such as Halo Top, which is healthier than most ice creams, with lower calories and more protein. However, they also carry a brand of ice cream called Graeters. I eat Graeters often, especially in the store at home, and I know that this brand of ice cream is unhealthy. In addition, Whole Foods carries frozen meals packed with sodium. I wonder what kind of foods constitute the meaning of “whole” and why certain foods are able to make the shelves. On Sunday afternoon I drove to the East Lansing Farmer’s Market with my boyfriend. The market was a laid-back and blissful setting with live music and dogs. People interacted more with one another, especially because making purchases, and even just walking around the small area, required a conversation with vendors and other guests. Conversations seemed considerably happier and more interactive than the usual “how are you” and “would you like your receipt in the bag” conversation that occurs at larger stores. Nobody at the farmer’s market wore headphones or stoic expressions. Shoppers at the Farmer's Market did not necessarily buy anything, nor did they feel obliged to. People attended the market out of curiosity and desire to be there. I cannot imagine many people would go to Meijer just to browse. People at Whole Foods may not necessarily go to grocery shop, but they may be there to grab a meal, a coffee, or a dessert. The market is the only place where shopping truly seemed like less of a Sunday task and more of a Sunday adventure. The prices of the various produce, coffee, desserts, and soap products, were cheaper, for the most part, in comparison to products at Whole Foods. I purchased a medium sized cold brew coffee for $3.00, about thirty cents less, and definitely more natural, than a cold brew with cream from Starbucks. A vendor offered us a sample of their blueberry muffin, to which my boyfriend responded that we needed one, and I spent another $3.00 on a muffin made with organic ingredients. I could taste the difference between the real blueberries in the muffin, versus the fakeness and preserved taste of blueberries in muffins such as Little Bites or muffins sold at Starbucks. I was able to relate much of what I saw to the readings we have completed for class. At Meijer, I noticed some of the produce was picked over or empty. I thought of people who live in food deserts, as Mark Bittman discusses in Is Junk Food Really Cheaper? Even if someone has access to a car to drive to a supermarket, it can also be difficult to find adequate sources of nutrition. He also argues that healthier foods are actually cheaper, but after spending twenty more dollars at Whole Foods, I digress. One of the stands at the market had a sign that stated, “GMO: may have a worm in it”, and erased underneath, but still showing slightly, read “Non-GMO”. I am unaware if this particular stand is advocating for or against GMOs, but I was reminded of our class discussion about GMOs and Pamela Ronald’s Ted Talk, “The Case for Engineering our Food”. Ronald dispels the myths surrounding Genetically Modified Organisms, one being that GMOs help rid produce of bugs that destroy it. I now understand the strategy that goes into food placement at grocery stores, and how it could affect the way consumers shop. I also noticed a drastic change in behavior from a large supermarket to a small farmer’s market. My observations have given me a newfound love for farmer’s markets.
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